TL;DR
Awakening from cryosleep, you're stranded and must manage fuel, oxygen, and hull integrity to survive. Out There - The Alliance boasts a stylish intro and narration, but the core gameplay loop of repetitive resource gathering and text-based choices can become frustrating. A major gripe is the lack of clear fuel range indicators, leading to potentially fatal miscalculations. While it performs well on Nintendo Switch in both docked and handheld modes, the overall experience failed to captivate, feeling more suited to a board game. Despite its substantial content, the game's mechanics and design choices left the reviewer wanting more. Curious if this survival challenge is for you? Read on to decide!
Awakening from cryosleep, you find yourself drastically off course. A mysterious alien base offers a vital clue, indicating your next destination. However, reaching it requires careful resource management of fuel and oxygen, alongside meticulous hull maintenance. Survival in the vast expanse of space proves to be a challenging endeavor.
The initial impression is promising. The stylish intro, compelling narration, and immersive atmosphere set a high bar. However, upon engaging with the gameplay, my assessment of Out There – The Alliance diverges from some other reviewers. The game’s structure is relatively straightforward, presenting scenarios through text-based notifications, such as alien encounters or sightings of unidentified objects. These events typically offer a choice between investigating or avoiding the situation. Investigation can lead to dire consequences, while avoidance might mean missing crucial information needed for progression, ultimately resulting in failure.
The core mechanics involve resource collection to sustain your character’s survival. This entails a constant cycle of planetary visits and repetitive mining for essential minerals and life support materials. Oxygen replenishment and hull repairs are paramount; neglecting either aspect results in inevitable demise. A frustrating element arises from the lack of clear fuel range indication. Traveling to a planet with insufficient fuel leads to a fatal drift in space. The absence of a warning system forces players to estimate fuel consumption without precise data. This feels like an artificial increase in difficulty. A pilot should have access to estimated travel ranges; providing this information *before* setting a course would significantly improve the experience.
Out There – The Alliance functions effectively both on a television and in handheld mode on the Nintendo Switch. Text is sufficiently large for comfortable viewing on the smaller screen, and the touch controls are responsive. Originally released in 2014 for other platforms, this title arrives on the Switch after a considerable period.
Ultimately, Out There – The Alliance failed to captivate me, instead eliciting frustration. The visually striking intro sequence raised expectations considerably, but the subsequent gameplay proved underwhelming. Out There – The Alliance might be better suited as a board game, where its simplified mechanics could potentially shine, offering a more engaging and enjoyable experience. However, in this format, it did not resonate with me. That said, I am refraining from a wholly negative assessment, despite the critical tone of this review. The game possesses underlying qualities: it is well-crafted and offers a substantial amount of content. Those who appreciate this genre may find it appealing. However, it simply did not align with my preferences.
